El Nino and La Nina
El Nino, which is also widely known as Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is a global climate occurrence that happens due to the differences in temperature fluctuation in surface temperature and winds over the tropical Pacific Ocean. The variations in the flow of winds are irregular, but it has some resemblance to cycles, which increases the unpredictability of ENSO. This phenomenon also has had a significant impact on the climate of subtropical and tropical regions across the globe and has been associated with higher latitude regions as well.
In general terms, El Nino refers to the warming phase of the alteration of sea temperature, whereas La Nina highlights the cooling phase. Therefore, the “Southern Oscillation” is an atmospheric component which is coupled with the changes in sea temperature. During normal weather conditions in the Pacific Ocean, trade winds blow in the west direction and the equator propagates warm water from the South American region towards Asia. As a result, to replace warm water, the cold water rises from the depths of the South American region, which is known as upwelling.
This has differentiated El Nino in comparison to La Nina, which highlights the strange phenomenon widely denoted as “Southern Oscillation” (ENSO). Both El Nino and La Nina have had a profound influence on the global climate besides interrupting normal weather conditions. Due to this reason, it can lead to famines in some places and intense storms in different parts of the globe. Moreover, El Nino is one of the main factors of climate, which contributes to global average temperature increase. On the other hand, La Nina is responsible for short-term surface cooling. Therefore, both of the phenomena have a global impact on ecosystems, climate, weather and wildfires.
El Nino and La Nina and its correlation with respect to Climate Change
The term climate change has become familiar to a large number of people around the globe, which highlights the elevation in global average temperature, which is also widely recognized as global warming. The rise in global temperature is caused by different factors such as the Industrial Revolution, the increased use of fossil-based fuels and deforestation, which have also had a long-term change on the climate change of our planet.
However, the metrological department of various nations shows that El Nino contributes to the prominent increase in temperature of various Asia Pacific regions since it has carried elevated temperatures from eastern Pacific regions. This also causes changes in the atmospheric circulation pattern of wind, which results in a significant impact on worldwide weather.
El Nino effects are typically felt for approximately one year and are strongest in the equator besides either side of the Pacific. Therefore, in Southeast Asia, it has increased the likelihood of drier conditions, which also elevates the chances of heatwaves, drought, and wildfires. On the other hand, in the west bank of “South America”, EL Nino raises the flooding conditions due to the heavy rainfall since it causes the hot Pacific jet stream to shift towards the west, creating a high-pressure zone in Peru’s coastal region.
La Nina, on the other hand, has less impact on extreme weather conditions in comparison to El Nino but still has the capability to influence the weather of various countries. La Nina events generally happen after the events of El Nino with intervals of about 2 to 7 years. The impact on weather brought about by La Nina, which is also known as “Little Girl” in Spanish, is particularly opposite of those related to El Nino.
La Nina happens by the development of cooler than normal waters within a tropical Pacific region, which is followed by heavy rainfall in the South East Asian region. Hence, both El Nino La Nina contributed to alterations in the weather and climate of subtropical and tropical regions.
